You Leave Me Breathless (Literally)
by siriuslymerlin
Summary: Magnus Bane is not a patient person, not by any means. He doesn't appreciate waiting for anyone or anything. That is, until Alexander Lightwood came into his life.
**A/N:** **Hi! So for those of you who know me, I apologize for writing this instead of the next chapter of King's Reclaim, or Sparks, but when inspiration hits, you have to heed the call. I started this show a few weeks ago and absolutely fell in love, so voila! This is shadowhunters!verse**

Magnus Bane is not a patient person, not by any means. He doesn't appreciate waiting for anyone or anything. That is, until Alexander Lightwood came into his life. Now, Magnus could wait centuries to have one interaction with the boy. Before, Magnus couldn't stand people who were long-winded, redundant, or never got to the point. Now, he can decipher whole paragraphs of speech from furrowed eyebrows, blushes, and stuttered words.

Having Alec around has drastically changed Magnus, for the better. For one, his patience has grown exponentially. He's much more of a team player, spending countless hours trying to track down both the Mortal Cup and Jace. It helps that he mostly just works with Alec, but it's still a lot of work, considering he has other duties to attend to.

Of course, it's not just him working tirelessly. Valentine sends countless demons into New York, to try and lure the shadowhunters, especially Clary and Jocelyn, out of hiding. Everyone in the Institute is on high alert, sending out teams of hunters to deal with the new threat and save as many mundanes as they can. Alec and Izzy are sent out often, and Magnus believes it's Maryse's secret strategy of keeping her son away from the high warlock of Brooklyn. He can only imagine the look on her face if she ever learns just where Alec likes to relax after difficult days.

Today, Magnus is gracefully laid out on the chaise in the front room of his lot, flicking through a book he only has minimal interest in. He hears the door open, and without looking up knows it's Alec. Magnus has fixed the wards around his home to let just Alec in, whether Magnus comes to the door or not. It's much easier this way.

The shadowhunter trudges in, covered in something that looks suspiciously like blood. Magnus sits up, a little alarmed.

"Relax, it's not my blood," Alec says, making his way to the bathroom. The shower starts up and Magnus settles back down, waiting for Alec to emerge again.

Their relationship is still tentative. Magnus still initiate's most physical contact, mostly chaste kisses pressed against the boy's jaw, and stolen kisses here and there. They simply haven't had enough time for much more. Some nights, however, when Alec is too tired to throw up his usual walls, they curl up together, warm and innocent. Alec will rest his head in Magnus's lap, and let the warlock run his fingers through his hair. Those nights don't come very often because Alec is still Alec, no matter how many strides he's taken in the direction of personal happiness. He's still hung up on the notion that physical intimacy is a sign of weakness, a side effect of his upbringing. Magnus is slowly but surely changing his mind. They've progressed from awkward drink dates to Alec leaving a set of clothes and a toothbrush at his place, for the times he falls asleep there, napping on Magnus's lap.

The shower cuts off, so Magnus puts his book down, and sets about making a cup of tea for his boyfriend. Alec emerges, finally, clad in a sweater much older than its wearer, and a pair of joggers. Magnus leads him to the chaise, where they sit pressed together. Alec sips at the tea, waiting for it to cool before he downs it.

"Thanks," he mumbles, leaning his head on Magnus's shoulder. The boy is taller than him by a few inches, so Magnus figures it must be an uncomfortable position. He loops an arm around Alec's shoulders and pulls him close, letting him lean against Magnus's chest.

"Hi." Alec's breath is still warm from the tea, sending shivers down Magnus's spine when it hits his neck.

"Tough day?" Magnus asks, running careful fingers through Alec's hair. Sometimes, he still shies away from affection, so Magnus has to go slow in order not to spook him.

"You could say that. Izzy almost got stabbed today," Alec answers, arching up into Magnus's touch.

"Is she alright?" he asks quickly, worried for the other Lightwood sibling he's quite fond of.

"Yeah. Clary saved her." There's something in Alec's voice that tells Magnus he blames himself somehow for this close call. Magnus trails his fingers soothingly down the back of Alec's neck.

"I'll fall asleep if you keep doing that," Alec warns. Magnus ignores him, stroking his neck in a rhythm now. Alec makes a contented noise, low in the back of his throat.

"When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?" Magnus asks, even though he knows the answer. Alec doesn't really get any sleep at the Institute, no one does anymore. All their energy is spent tracking the cup and fending off the alarming number of demons that plague the streets of New York. Alec mumbles something incoherent and stretches out, prompting Magnus to do the same, so Alec is draped out on top of him, like a blanket.

At first, the weight is comforting and nice. Magnus relishes in the warmth, and the soft, even sounds Alec makes when he sleeps. Then, an hour passes and Magnus can't feel his right arm where it's trapped under Alec. He doesn't dare move though, because any sudden movement will result in Alec waking up and leaving, with the excuse that he still has so much work to do. Alec has been living on power naps for far too long, and no one, not even a shadowhunter, can last without getting a proper night's sleep.

Magnus contemplates magicking them to the bedroom, so they can still cuddle, and Magnus can breathe at the same time. He decides against it when he imagines the sheer panic Alec will be in once he wakes up. He sighs, heavy and melodramatic, and decides on getting his arm out from under Alec. He moves it the slightest bit, wincing when Alec shifts, effectively trapping him further.

It shouldn't be so endearing, but it is. Magnus's arm is completely numb, and pressing harshly against his sternum, but there's really not much incentive to move. In their current position, Magnus is getting an eyeful of Alec's sweet face, devoid of stress and responsibility. He looks much younger, almost boyish, and it's stupidly adorable. Alec would blush and sputter angrily if Magnus ever brought it up. Unfortunately, this is the exact moment his arm starts twinging. Magnus grimaces, and shifts his arm one micrometer at a time to get it to a better position. Maybe he can drape it over Alec's back.

Just when he has most of his arm out from under Alec, the boy on top of him shift to get comfortable. Magnus takes the opportunity to withdraw his hand out as fast as he can, but Alec twists towards his hand, so Magnus ends up smacking him in the face, effectively waking the Shadowhunter.

There's an intense moment where they just stare at each other. Alec's facial expression is unreadable. Magnus smiles weakly at him.

"Did you… just smack me? In the face?" Alec asks. Magnus sputters for a second, trying to figure out how he could possibly come back from that.

"No! I was just moving and I accidently—Alexander, are you teasing me?" Magnus has just now noticed the little smirk playing on the boy's lips. The smirk grows into a shit-eating grin, something that Magnus adores.

"I was only trying to get my arm out from your crushing death grip when you moved, so really this your fault." Magnus sniffs dramatically, looping his arms around Alec's neck. His grin falters.

"I'm crushing you?" Alec scrambles off him in an instant, pulling away from Magnus's grip. The warlock sighs.

"I was teasing, Alexander," Magnus tells him, standing as well. He cups the side of Alec's neck with one hand and hooks his fingers in the shadowhunter's waistband, pulling him closer. "You're not the only tease."

Alec lets out a shaky laugh. "Yeah, I suppose."

"Are you going?" Magnus asks against his clavicle. Alec's hands come up to rest on his waist.

"I'm still sort of tired," Alec says, ducking his head down and resting his forehead against Magnus's shoulder.

"Then by all means, stay," Magnus tells him, enjoying this blatant display of affection.

"Could we, maybe head back to your room?" Alec pulls away, searching for a reaction. Exhaustion is clear on his face, especially from the way he struggles to keep his eyes open. Still, because he likes the reactions he gets from Alec, he raises his eyebrows, feigning shock. Alec reddens immediately and starts sputtering.

"I just meant—not in that way, I… Magnus!" Magnus laughs openly, grabbing his hand and leading him back to his bedroom.

They slip under the covers once Alec has calmed, curling into each other so Magnus can rest his head on Alec's shoulder, and Alec wraps all his limbs around Magnus. This is much better, especially now that both of them can breathe.

 **A/N:** **Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought, critiques, and all that. Because I'm an actual trashcan, I have another Malec fic in the works, so be on the lookout for that. Also, because I'm feeling inspired, a new chapter of King's Reclaim and Spark's is also in progress. See you soon!**


End file.
